Alyssa Lies
by AmazingAlexis
Summary: When Zoey Brooks was 6, she had a friend named Alyssa. Alyssa was abused; She lied about her bruises. Eventually, it got to be too much for the little girl. Alyssa is in a better place now. Friendship-fic. For Kristin and Melissa, survivors of child abuse


**Alyssa Lies**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Zoey 101.**

**Inspired by: The song 'Alyssa Lies' by Jason Michael Carroll.**

**Dedicated to: My best friend Kristin and her little sister, Melissa, who suffered through child abuse. Now, they are in a foster home. Kristin is 15 and Melissa is 11. Kristin had been going through that since she was 8, and Melissa since she was 4. **

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**(Zoey Brooks' house. Age 6)**

I am six years old and I go to first grade. My little brother, Dustin, is three years old. I love my family. I love my school. I love my friends.

Two weeks ago, I met a new girl at school. Her name is Alyssa Johnson, and she's my new best friend. Alyssa has brown hair and blue eyes. She wears long sleeves and long pants everyday.

Alyssa has a lot of bruises. She told the teacher she fell down the stairs. I have never heard of falling down the stairs as much as Alyssa does, but I guess she's just clumsy. She has bruises all over. She tries to hide them, but I know they are there.

Once in gym class, Alyssa was doing her stretches and when she raised her arms, I could see a big purple bruise on her stomach. But Alyssa is always talking and laughing and having fun. She smiles more than anyone I have ever seen.

Yesterday, Alyssa asked me to go to her house after school. I asked my mommy and daddy, and they agreed. They said they would pick me up at seven. I rode the bus home with Alyssa, and we talked the whole time. She told me we could play with her Barbie Dolls, and I told her that sounded fun.

I didn't know we were at Alyssa's house when the bus stopped. This was a trailer, and trailers don't have stairs. Once we went in, I looked around for stairs. Finally, I decided to ask where the stairs were that she always fell down. She looked at me, but didn't answer. Then I knew, she had lied; there were no stairs.

When I met Alyssa's daddy, he shook my hand, and gave me a small smile. Then he told me to wait in Alyssa's room while he talked to her in the kitchen. After awhile, I got bored, so I went to see where Alyssa was. It was no fun playing with Barbie Dolls by yourself, anyway.

When I got to the corner, I stopped. Alyssa's dad was yelling at her and hitting her. I stayed hidden, and they didn't see me. When he hit her stomach, where the big bruise was, she started crying. He hit her more for crying.

Then he told her to tell me I had to go home, because she wasn't feeling well. He said she wasn't supposed to have friends over. She wiped her eyes, and then she saw me. Her daddy didn't, but she did. She looked down at her feet, and when he wasn't looking she waved her hand for me to go back to her room. I did, and soon she came in. Her face was still red, but she wasn't crying anymore.

"Why did your daddy hit you like that?" I asked, because I wanted to know. She looked up at me shrugged her shoulders.

"He doesn't like me. I don't do anything right. He never wanted a daughter, and when my mommy left us, he started hitting me."

"Why don't you tell anyone? Why do you lie?"

"Because I'm afraid that if I tell, my daddy will get in trouble and I'll never see him again. And if he finds out that you know, he'll hit me more. Please don't tell."

"But Alyssa-"

"Please, Zoey. It used to be worse. It's not so bad anymore. I just try to think of other things. If I don't think about it, I usually don't cry, then it's not so bad. Crying makes it worse."

"You cried today."

"It hurt when he hit me in the stomach." She lifted her shirt a little, showing me the big purple bruise.

"You told everyone you fell down the stairs."

"I know. But what else could I do? I don't want my daddy to get into trouble."

"Is that why you smile so much at school? Because you are away from here? Away from your daddy?"

"Yes. I love school. I used to not have friends. You're my only friend."

"I like having you as a friend, but I don't like that you get hurt."

She looked away, "You better go call your mommy and daddy so they can come pick you up. I'll show you where the phone is."

We walked out into the kitchen and her daddy was sitting at the table. He smiled at me a little, telling me he was sorry I had to leave so soon. I just nodded, not knowing what to say. I can't even think of how Alyssa must feel living in this house all the time.

I picked up the phone and dialed my number. My daddy answered. "Hello?"

"Hi daddy, it's Zoey. Can you come get me from Alyssa's house. She doesn't feel very good."

"Sure, I'll be there soon."

"Okay, bye." I hung up and looked at Alyssa's dad. "He's on his way."

Me and Alyssa went out on the porch to sit and wait. She told me again to please not tell. I nodded, but I didn't promise her anything. I knew it wasn't right, but I wouldn't tell her that.

When my daddy finally pulled up, he got out and walked up to us. He shook Alyssa's hand, saying he was glad to finally meet her and he hoped she felt better soon. She nodded, and I turned to her. I hugged her.

"It'll be okay. I'll see you on Monday okay?" I whispered and she whispered back.

"Okay. Bye, Zoey."

"Bye, Alyssa."

As I got in the car and we pulled away, Alyssa stood on the sidewalk, waving. I could see her daddy in the window, watching her. It scared me. When we got home, I sat down on the couch and told daddy I needed to talk to him.

"What's wrong, Zoey?" He asked, and I looked down at my hands, remembering Alyssa's words. _It's not so bad anymore. I just try to think of other things. If I don't think about it, I usually don't cry, then it's not so bad. _

"Alyssa…wasn't sick today."

"Then why did you come home early?"

"Daddy, Alyssa got in trouble because I was there. Her daddy hit her. She has bruises all over. That's why she wears long pants and long sleeve shirts, to hide the bruises. She lies to the teacher, saying she fell down the stairs. There are no there."

"Oh, Zoey. Don't worry, I'm sure Alyssa will tell someone when she's ready to."

"Okay."

The weekend was fun. I played with Dustin and my other friends. I tried not to think about Alyssa, but I did anyway. I couldn't wait until Monday, so I could see she was okay.

I prayed for Alyssa that night and all weekend. When Daddy said grace at the dinner table, I thought about Alyssa. Sunday night, I said a special prayer.

"God Bless my mommy, my daddy, and Dustin. And God Bless Alyssa. Please let Alyssa be okay, God. She needs you real bad. She's my best friend, please let her just be safe. She needs to be safe."

That night, I had dreams of Alyssa. It was Monday in the dream, and she came in smiling like always. But then, her daddy was there. He hit her, and she cried. Then, Alyssa was gone, and I don't know where. I woke up crying, and mommy gave me some milk to send me back to sleep.

--

Daddy told me he would take me to school on Monday, to show me that Alyssa would be there, and she'd be okay. He drove me in his car, and when I got there, everyone looked sad.

"What's wrong?" I asked the teacher, Mrs. Allan. "Where's Alyssa?"

Mrs. Allan shook her head, and my daddy pulled me over to the side of the room. I felt funny. Something was wrong.

"Where's Alyssa? Is she okay?"

"Zoey, Alyssa…she's not going to be at school today."

"Why not? Will she be back tomorrow?"

"No, Zoey. You see…Alyssa…doesn't live on Earth anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…that Alyssa…she…is with Jesus and God now. Zoey, she's in a better place."

"No! I never got to say goodbye. I don't want her to go. I want her to come back and be my best friend again."

"Honey, it was time for Alyssa to see that there is a place out there that's better than what it was like for her here. Alyssa was in a bad situation, and now she's going to be okay. God will protect her now."

"But…I'll miss her."

"We all will. Alyssa wouldn't have wanted you to be sad. She would have wanted you to be happy, because now she won't get hit anymore. Alyssa needed a friend for her last her weeks here, and you gave her that. Now it's time for you to move on to new friends."

"I'll never forget about Alyssa."

"She wouldn't have wanted you too. She would have wanted you to remember the good times you've had here at school. She would have wanted you to make new friends, but not to forget her."

"Okay, I'll try."

The next day, it was in the newspaper. The front page talked about Alyssa Johnson. They referred to her as 'the girl that got abused' and 'being in a better place now'. It also said that a funeral would be held for Alyssa the next day, and anyone was invited. Alyssa's mother, Veronica, would be coming, because Alyssa had been secretly writing to her for a long time.

At the funeral, I put a flower in Alyssa's hands. She was dressed in a long white dress, and she looked like an angel. On her casket where the words, _From a bad place, to a better place. Alyssa Marie Johnson -June 14__th__, 1991 through September 20__th__, 1997. _

I cried at the funeral. Alyssa's mom came over to talk to me, asking me if I was Zoey. When I said I was, she told me that the letters from Alyssa in the past few weeks were all about her new friend Zoey.

Alyssa would have wanted me to know that she thought I was the best friend in the whole world, her mom told me and I nodded. I told her that I was sorry about Alyssa, but she told me she wasn't that sorry. Alyssa was in a better place and that was all that mattered.

So, Alyssa, I just want you to know that I'll never forget that friend you were to me. I'm sorry I never got a chance to say a real goodbye, but I'll miss you.

**Author's Note: That made me cry just to write it. Please review and tell me what you think. If anyone has never heard the song, Private Message me and I'll send you the lyrics to it. It's really sad.**

**Alexis Out!**


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